Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
Moderator: Malanee
Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
When I first read the reviews a while ago I thought it was not for me (WAY too disturbing), but someone on my parenting board was raving about it yesterday, saying she was up until 2 am to finish it. Very few things in life would make me stay up until 2 am, so I was curious.
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
I thought you'd read it, Blush, but I wasn't sure. Cool! I think I'll try to get a copy.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
Got it! Now if I can just finish World without End... Maybe in 2 months or so.
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
Oh yeah? I'm on page 190 or so. I like it so far. What about you?
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
I'm only a few pages in, but I left it at work. 
Happiness is an inside job.
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
Meh - can't get into it. Is it worth the effort?
Happiness is an inside job.
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
I'm loving it. Well, as much as you can "love" a book about a psycho whose mother didn't want/love him. I'm finding it very gripping. I'm 80 pages from the end. I agree that her style is not easy. Her long sentences and sometimes seemingly pointless side stories get on my nerves sometimes. And her vocabulary is a little... pretentious, no? I mean, of course English is not my native language, and maybe I should consider she's doing me a favor in improving my vocab, but I'm lazy.
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
Finished it. Holy powerful book. Check this out:
"This is all I know. That on the 11th of April, 1983, unto me a son was born, and I felt nothing. Once again, the truth is always larger than what we make of it. As that infant squirmed on my breast, from which he shrank in such distaste, I spurned him in return - he may have been a fifteenth my size, but it seemed fair at the time. Since that moment we have fought one another with an unrelenting ferocity that I can almost admire."
Ruth, did you stop it?
Blush, do you wanna discuss it?
"This is all I know. That on the 11th of April, 1983, unto me a son was born, and I felt nothing. Once again, the truth is always larger than what we make of it. As that infant squirmed on my breast, from which he shrank in such distaste, I spurned him in return - he may have been a fifteenth my size, but it seemed fair at the time. Since that moment we have fought one another with an unrelenting ferocity that I can almost admire."
Ruth, did you stop it?
Blush, do you wanna discuss it?
Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
OK, SPOILERS FROM NOW ON:
I totally Did NOT see that Franklin was dead. I totally thought he'd left her after Thursday because she'd been such a bad mother. I suspected Celia might be dead though, because Eva never saw her. Only talked about her in the past. And she said "if only I'd been able to keep Celia...". I thought she could have lost custody, but it wasn't very likely. But the husband? Never saw it coming.
What I didn't buy:
How one day she woke up and simply HAD to have another baby. With the disastrous parenting experience she'd had? Where did that certainty that she needed another child come from?
How Kevin behaved as a baby and as a toddler. Come on. That child was from a horror movie. No real child (even a psycho) would do the things he did, not be interested in anything like he wasn't. Since she mentions that he was a "bright kid". Didn't buy that for one moment.
What sadly WAS believable was her lack of love for her own son. Society shows us repeatedly that such mothers DO exist. Here in Brazil a big story in the news these days is that of a couple who abandoned triplets at the hospital
AND they'd had IVF. WTF???
I totally Did NOT see that Franklin was dead. I totally thought he'd left her after Thursday because she'd been such a bad mother. I suspected Celia might be dead though, because Eva never saw her. Only talked about her in the past. And she said "if only I'd been able to keep Celia...". I thought she could have lost custody, but it wasn't very likely. But the husband? Never saw it coming.
What I didn't buy:
How one day she woke up and simply HAD to have another baby. With the disastrous parenting experience she'd had? Where did that certainty that she needed another child come from?
How Kevin behaved as a baby and as a toddler. Come on. That child was from a horror movie. No real child (even a psycho) would do the things he did, not be interested in anything like he wasn't. Since she mentions that he was a "bright kid". Didn't buy that for one moment.
What sadly WAS believable was her lack of love for her own son. Society shows us repeatedly that such mothers DO exist. Here in Brazil a big story in the news these days is that of a couple who abandoned triplets at the hospital
AND they'd had IVF. WTF???Re: Anyone read We need to talk about Kevin?
Not just evil, he was just not interested in anything. What baby is not interested in anything? They're interested in EVERYthing! I just didn't buy that a NORMAL baby/toddler (of normal intelligence, that is) would be that apathetic (is that a word?).
I wouldn't question her desire to have another baby IF she'd had a healthy relationship with her existing child. But the way things were, I was like "oh come on, you gotta be kidding". But overall I really, really liked the book.
I wouldn't question her desire to have another baby IF she'd had a healthy relationship with her existing child. But the way things were, I was like "oh come on, you gotta be kidding". But overall I really, really liked the book.